Emergency draft-bar.



C. C. RICH.

EMERGENCY DRAFT BAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-7,1918- l,%9?3,881 Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

anon H101 CHARLES C. RICH, OF CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND.

EMERGENCY DRAFT-BAR.

Application filed November 7, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. RICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Emergency Draft-Bars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in emergency draft bars and pertains more particularly to draft bars adapted for coupling two freight cars employed in the transportation of bodies which are too long to be carried on one car.

As an instance, in the transportation of large timber it has been the custom to chain two fiat cars together so as to permit swiveling of the cars around curves and also to provide against breaking of the couplings. This method has proven unsatisfactory and impractical. I

The principal object of the invention is to obviate the disadvantages found in the former coupling methods, by the provision of a simple, practical coupling device having connection with the adjacent trucks of two cars and being capable of use with the usual coupling draw bars of the cars, or without such draw bars in the case of breakage of the latter.

In the drawings- Figure l is a top plan view of the improved emergency draft bar.

Fig. 2 is a side or edge elevation thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of an attachment therefor for holding the cars properly spaced apart in the event of the main draw bars breaking.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the emergency draft bar comprises two principal parts 1 and 2, each of bar-like form and one part or section having a fureated end 3, which is telescoped by the adjacent end of section 2, to provide therewith an adj ustable connection between the two sections. The end 3 has its furcations formed with registering slots 4 to receive a pin or bolt 5 which is passed through the telescoped end of section 2 to fixedly secure the parts together when the draft device is operatively arranged between two cars. The outer end of each section is offset at 6, and continued in a semi-circular loop terminal 7 opening Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Serial No. 261,500.

at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the respective sections. A complemental semi-circular ate or closure 8 has one end fureated to embrace the free end of the loop terminal 7 and be pivotally secured thereto by a pin or bolt 9, whereby its opposite end may swing over the offset shank portion 6. This latter end of closure 8 is provided with a series of openings 10 adapted to be brought into register with a single opening in the offset shank portion 6 to receive a bolt or pin 11, so that the resulting terminal opening 12 will be variable in size according to whichever aperture 10, the bolt or pin 11, is inserted in.

In the construction of freight cars, it will be found that all truckshave a central pivot pin which engages or rides in a ring-like or inverted cup-shaped fixture attached to the underside of the car body. In coupling two cars together with the present invention, the looped terminal'of each section is opened, by removing pin 10, and is passed around the pivot pin of a respective truck, one bar member being coupled to the rear truck of the front car and the companion bar member coupled to the front truck of the next rear car, subsequent to which the loop ter minal is adjusted about the truck pivot pin and the lock pin 11 is then inserted in the Selected opening 10 and the registering opening in the underlying shank portion 6. The opposite ends of the bar members or sections 1 and 2 are then securely connected by bolt 5.

By this device two cars will be securely coupled in such manner that they can freely take any curve.

In the event of breakage or injury to either or both of the ordinary draw bars with which the cars are equipped, the improved emergency draft bar will serve as a temporary coupling in an eflicient manner.

When a draw bar is broken, it is desirable to prevent the rear car body riding forwardly and to this end a stay or abutment 13 is firmly secured preferably to the rear bar member. This abutment is substantially Y-shaped, having its divergent brace arms 14 adapted to engage the succeeding car or truck and has its stem perforated at 15 for registry with a predetermined one of the perforations 16 provided in the rear member, to receive one or more securing pins, not shown- The series of perforatlons 16 affords suiflcient adjustment of the abutment'member to accommodate for the varying types of cars.

The coupling draft bar is exceedingly simple in construction, economical in manu- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An emergency draft bar comprising a bar-like member offset at one end to pro vide a shank portion terminating in an open loop, a complemental closure pivoted at one end to the outer end of the loop and having its opposite end provided with a series of perforations for registry with a perforation in the shank portion, and securing means insertible in the selected registering perforations of the loop closure and shank portion.

2. A draft coupling comprising a pair of connected members each having adjustable means of connection with a respective car truck, and means carried by one member for abutting the rear car to hold the same against riding forwardly.

3. A draft coupling comprising a pair of connected bar-like members having means of connection with the pivot pins of the adjacent trucks of the two cars, and means adjustable on one member for engaging one of the cars to hold it predeterminately spaced from the coupled car.

4. A draft coupling comprising a pair of connected bar-like members having means of connection with the pivot pins of the adjacent trucks of two cars, and an abutment member secured to one bar-like member and embodying divergent brace arms to engage a car for holding it predeterminately spaced from the coupled car.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. C. RICH. Witnesses:

ADA E. HAGERTY, J. A. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. U. 

